District overview
Adams 12 Five Star Schools
Funding structure, how it compares to peers, and where major projects stand.
How is Adams 12 Five Star Schools paid for?
Adams 12 Five Star Schools serves about 29,000 students in Thornton, Northglenn, Westminster, Broomfield and nearby areas of Adams and Broomfield counties. Most operating money comes through Colorado's school-finance formula, which combines local property tax with state aid; voters have added mill levy overrides and bonds. A five-member board elected by district voters from five director districts adopts the budget and hires the superintendent, Chris Gdowski.
Enrollment
29,271 students in October 2025, projected to fall to 28,613 and keep falling through 2030.
Local taxes
Voters approved a mill levy override in November 2025 and a bond in 2024; staff track both in regular monitoring reports.
Reserves
Board policy keeps unassigned reserves between 4% and 8% of the general fund; staff projected 4.9% and about 5% in two reports.
State pressure
The state asked departments to find 2% in cuts in late 2025, and staff warned K-12 could be affected.
This page rests on meeting recordings and a few documents. It does not establish per-student spending, which would need the adopted budget document.
Where the district stands
Major projects
School closures and consolidation
approved; takes effect 2027-28Five elementary schools and one middle school close, two middle school boundaries change, and Hulstrom K-8 moves to the Shadow Ridge campus.
- First closure and repurposing presentation
- Recommendation presented
- Board approves plan
- School choice window closes
Funding
About $5 million a year in savings after the first year
Veterans Memorial Aquatic Center pool shell
approvedA new tile pool shell suited to underwater hockey, paid by a private gift.
- Board approves improvements
Funding
Private donation to the Five Star Education Foundation
Recent news
View the news feed →Resources
Practical guides to school phone policies, district budgets, and administrator hiring.
Explore resources →Built from board meeting recordings (auto-captions), board minutes on the district site, and district news posts, November 2025 to November 2026. Agendas and packets are on BoardDocs, which we do not collect.
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